non-ramen rating: campbell’s chicken noodle soup

I’ve been sick for the past week (8+ consecutive 103 degree+ fevers! woohoo! I feel like a major winner in the 2008 flu lotto!) and pretty much living on Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup. During one of my fevered deliriums, it occurred to me that this is the American version of ramen: there’s soup, there’s noodles, there’s meat…somewhere…and it’s packed with enough sodium to satisfy any MSG addict! Ok, I’m really pushing the comparison, but when I’m sick as a dog, I find that there’s nothing I crave more than chicken noodle soup.

Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup is just what the doctor ordered. But how does it compare to instant or nama ramen? For starters, the noodles are about as soggy as you can get. But then again, I, for one, am not looking for chewability when I’m sick: I wanna just slurp those puppies and not even bother to chew, if I so choose. As a get-well-soon food, digestibility is key, and Campbell’s delivers. The tiny little bits of chicken in the soup doesn’t even come close to a decent slice of chashu, but again, you can just about swallow the chicken without chewing.

And how about the all-important soup? The typical MSG-laden instant ramen has nothing on a can of chicken noodle soup. With the one-two punch of MSG and sodium, you’ll think you’re drinking a Japanese ramen import! Think there’s only shoyu, tonkotsu, and shio? Allow me to introduce the “tori” (chicken) soup base, popular in all regions of the U.S. Personally, I’m convinced that the sodium is what kills the cold and flu germs. Maybe that’s why I crave this soup when I’m sick.

In the final analysis, Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup is just like ramen! –Except…oh, who am I trying to kid. I bet I still have a fever. I hope everyone had a very Happy Holidays!